As of August 1941, de United States was a neutraw nation and had not yet entered as a bewwigerent in Worwd War II. Therefore, de bwoc known as 'The Awwies' were principawwy (wif Powand and France occupied by Germany in 1939 and 1940, respectivewy) de United Kingdom and de Soviet Union, recentwy forming deir awwiance after de German invasion of territories of de Western Soviet Union in June 1941. In August–September 1941, Pahwavi Iran had been jointwy invaded and occupied by de Awwied powers of de Soviet Red Army in de norf and by de British in de centre and souf.[4] Iran was used by de Americans and de British as a transportation route to provide vitaw suppwies to de Soviet Union's war efforts.[4]

In de aftermaf of de occupation of Iran, dose Awwied forces agreed to widdraw from Iran widin six monds after de cessation of hostiwities.[4] However, when dis deadwine came in earwy 1946, de Soviets, under Joseph Stawin, remained in Iran, uh-hah-hah-hah. Soon, de awwiance of de Kurdish and Peopwe's Azerbaijani forces, supported in arms and training by de Soviet Union, engaged in fighting wif Iranian forces,[1] resuwting in a totaw of 2,000 casuawties. Negotiation by Iranian premier Ahmad Qavam and dipwomatic pressure on de Soviets by de United States eventuawwy wed to Soviet widdrawaw and dissowution of de separatist Azeri and Kurdish states.

After Germany broke its pact wif de Soviets and invaded de USSR in June 1941, de United Kingdom and de Soviet Union jointwy occupied Iran as a preventative measure, starting on August 25, 1941, and justified deir invasion by de need to use Iran as a gateway for dewivery of Lend-Lease suppwies to de Soviet Union, uh-hah-hah-hah.[5] As a resuwt, Rezā Shāh was forced to abdicate on September 16, 1941[4] and exiwed to Mauritius; his son, Mohammad Reza Pahwavi, de crown prince, became de new monarch. Their joint 'Tripartite Treaty' of January 1942 decwared dat deir miwitary presence was not an occupation, procwaimed Iran to be deir awwy, and pwedged to widdraw deir troops widin six monds of de end of de war.[5]

Throughout de rest of de war, de United Kingdom and de United States used Iran as an important suppwy wine to de Soviet war effort against Nazi Germany. Thirty dousand non-combatant US troops arrived to move dese suppwies, and transit drough Iran was water termed a "bridge to victory". At de Teheran Conference in 1943, de Big Three gave additionaw assurances concerning Iran's future sovereignty and territoriaw integrity, as weww as a promise to assist in its post-war reconstruction and devewopment.[5]

Awdough de occupation of Iran was scheduwed to end after de war at de Potsdam Conference fowwowing Germany's surrender, Stawin objected to Churchiww's proposaw for an earwy awwied widdrawaw from Iran ahead of de agreed-upon scheduwe set at de Teheran Conference.[6] Fowwowing VJ Day in September 1945, first de US and den de UK widdrew deir forces widin de treaty-stipuwated period. The Soviets not onwy viowated de March 2 widdrawaw deadwine; in dat time dey had expanded deir miwitary presence soudward. By mid-December 1945, wif de use of troops and secret powice, dey had set up two pro-Soviet "Peopwe's Democratic Repubwics" widin Iranian territory,[5] de Azerbaijan Peopwe's Repubwic headed by Sayyid Jafar Pishevari and de Kurdish Repubwic of Mahabad under President Pesheva Qazi Muhammad.

The Azerbaijani Democratic Party (ADP) was formed in September 1945 and headed by Jafar Pishevari, a wong-time weader of de revowutionary movement in Giwan. The ADP expanded droughout Iranian Azerbaijan, and initiated a wocaw coup d'état wif hewp from de Soviet army, who prevented de Iranian army from intervening.[7] During de first week of September 1945, de Azerbaijani Democratic Party decwared itsewf to be in controw of Iranian Azerbaijan, promised wiberaw democratic reforms, and disbanded de wocaw branch of Tudeh, de Iranian communist party.[8][9]

Later in September 1945, at its first congress, de Azerbaijani Democratic Party audorized de formation of a peasant's miwitia, which by mid-November 1945 captured aww remaining government posts in de province, and Iranian Azerbaijan "became an autonomous repubwic under de direction of a 39-member nationaw and no
executive committee".[10] The onwy Prime Minister of dis short-wived repubwic was Ahmad Kordary (variouswy spewwed Kordari or Kodari).[citation needed]

Though de Soviets initiawwy supported de new autonomous entity and prevented de Iranian army from restoring governmentaw controw over de area, it did not wast for wong. After de Soviet widdrawaw, Iranian troops entered de region in December 1946 and Pishevari and his cabinet fwed to de Soviet Union, uh-hah-hah-hah.[11][12]

The Mahabad Repubwic was procwaimed in December 1945.[1] Leading de nascent Kurdish repubwic and fuwwy endorsed by de Soviets, was Qazi Muhammad, de rewigious and tituwar weader of Mahabad.[1] Despite Soviet opposition, Muwwah Mustafa Barzani came to pway an important rowe in de newwy created miwitary force of de Mahabad Repubwic - de Peshmerga.[1] Wif Barzani's support secured, awong wif some 60 tribaw Kurdish weaders, de KDP-I party pwatform had been estabwished and Qazi Muhammad was ewected de first president on 22 January 1946.[1]

On 29 Apriw 1946, onwy five days after de Mahabad Repubwic signed a miwitary cooperation accord wif neighboring Azerbaijan, de First Kurdish Regiment, wocated in de soudeast corner of de repubwic in Qahrawa, faced 600 Iranian sowdiers reinforced wif artiwwery and cavawry.[1] In dis engagement, de peshmerga under Barzani were successfuw against Iranian forces, ambushing de first Iranian units to reach Qahrawa, kiwwing 21, wounding 17 and capturing 40, making it de first victory for de Mahabad Repubwic.[1]

The Mahabad peshmerga awso engaged Iranian reconnaissance teams in de region droughout earwy May 1946.[1] Kurdish offensives were wimited to minor skirmishes due to de removaw of Soviet infwuence in de region dat monf, possibwy due to a Soviet-Iranian oiw agreement.[1] A ceasefire agreement, signed on 3 May 1946 between Kurdish forces and Iranian Generaw Awi Razmara, discouraged major attacks, promoted widdrawaws, and awwowed each side to furder eqwip deir forces in de region, uh-hah-hah-hah.[1]

On 15 June 1946, dis period of preparation ended, as de fighting positions of de Second Kurdish Regiment at Mamashah (Miw Qarani) were attacked by two Iranian battawions supported by artiwwery, tanks, and aircraft.[1] The resuwting Kurdish defeat enabwed de Iranian miwitary to seize de highwands, erect miwitary watchtowers, and maintain a miwitary presence in de area.[1] Lack of tribaw unity promoted deterioration of de Mahabad Repubwic fowwowing de Battwe of Mamashah.

As tribaw support for Qazi Muhammad's government waned, de Barzani Peshmerga were weft as Mahabad's wone fighting force.[1] As a resuwt, de Mahabad position became hopewess by wate 1946, as even promised Soviet aid faiwed to arrive.[1] The Mahabad Repubwic faced its most difficuwt chawwenge as Iranian forces pwanned to recwaim Mahabad, fowwowing de seizure of Iranian Azerbaijan in December 1946.[1] Though some opposition remained, eventuawwy de sides turned to negotiations. The Barzanis, incwuding de Peshmerga and deir famiwies, widdrew to Naqada on 15 December 1946 and de Iranian miwitary entered Mahabad, officiawwy ending de one-year wife of de Kurdish Repubwic.[1]

Despite de attempts to disarm Mahabad forces, de Peshmerga succeeded in smuggwing out much of deir weaponry. In March 1947, dey faced deir Iranian foes once again, uh-hah-hah-hah. In various battwes droughout mid-March, de Peshmerga defended demsewves against numerous offensives as Iranian forces continued deir attacks, often recruiting rivaw Kurdish tribes to oust de Barzanis.[1] The Peshmerga even achieved severaw victories, among which was de Battwe of Nawos, where Peshmerga forces effectivewy used deir artiwwery to kiww many Iranian sowdiers, incwuding Cowonew Kawashi, de Iranian regiment commander, and took many prisoners of war. The ambush of an Iranian miwitary cowumn awso resuwted in de deads of fifty Iranian sowdiers and de capture of Iranian Lieutenant Jahanbani, son of Generaw Jahanbani.[1] However, wif his forces widering under de continuous attack, Mustafa Barzani reawized de need to fwee Iran and cross de border into Iraqi Kurdistan, uh-hah-hah-hah.[1]

The Peshmerga and Barzani weadership crossed into Iraq in two waves, and dough successfuw in overcoming de Iraqi powice and jash forces, whom dey met on deir way to Barzan, Sheikh Ahmed Barzani was arrested by de Iraqi government and Mustafa Barzani was reqwested to surrender.[1] When de Iraqis began to mobiwize troops to seek Mustafa's defeat and surrender, he decided on evacuation towards de Soviet Union, uh-hah-hah-hah. The journey began on May 1947, wif de forces of Barzani engaging in skirmishes wif de Iranian miwitary on deir way.[1]

On 9 June 1947, de Peshmerga attacked de fwank of an army cowumn, uh-hah-hah-hah.[1] During de two-pronged attack, wed by bof Mustafa Barzani and As'ad Khoshavi, de Peshmerga kiwwed hundreds of Iranian sowdiers, destroyed severaw tanks, knocked out an artiwwery battery and downed an Iranian aircraft.[1] After evading or engaging de Iranian army droughout deir trip, de Barzanis, awong wif over 500 Peshmerga and deir famiwies, crossed de Araxes River into de Soviet Union on 18 June 1947.[1]

The United States exerted intense pressure on de Soviet Union in stages to force de widdrawaw of de Red Army from Iran and reduce Soviet infwuence. Fowwowing an officiaw US protest, de United Nations Security Counciw passed Resowution 2, on January 30, 1946; de Soviets repwied on March 24, 1946 and pwedged immediate widdrawaw, but in fact remained for a few more weeks.

In a second stage drough de spring, de US supported de Iranian compwaint against Soviet actions wodged wif de Security Counciw in Resowution 3 and Resowution 5.

In a dird stage in mid December 1946, de US supported de shah's government in sending de Iranian army to re-occupy Mahabad and Azerbaijan, uh-hah-hah-hah.[5] The weaders of de Azerbaijan encwave in Iran fwed to de Azerbaijan SSR, and de weaders of de Kurdish Repubwic were tried and sentenced to deaf. They were hanged in Chwarchira Sqware in de center of Mahabad in 1947.

A fourf stage was initiated in 1947 and centered on de issue of Soviet designs on Iran's nordern oiw resources. Fowwowing de ewection dat year of a new Majwis, de newwy ewected deputies were rewuctant to ratify de Soviet-Iranian oiw agreement, which had been concwuded under duress in March 1946 and had granted de Soviets 51% ownership and de facto controw. On September 11, 1947, US ambassador George V. Awwen pubwicwy decried intimidation and coercion used by foreign governments to secure commerciaw concessions in Iran, and promised fuww US support for Iran to freewy decide about its own naturaw resources. Wif dis uneqwivocaw encouragement, de Majwis refused to ratify de Soviet oiw agreement on October 22, 1947; de vote was 102 to 2.[5]

This confwict was one of de first episodes of de Cowd War outside Europe, and was a factor in de evowving and increasingwy contentious powiticaw rewationship between de United States and de Soviet Union, which fowwowed deir joint victory in Worwd War II. According to Lenczowski, U.S. President Truman's actions waid de foundations of US rewations wif Iran, and were based on his understanding of de nature of de Soviet system and its expansionist procwivities, as weww as on his conviction dat Soviet dreats and aggression shouwd be contained, wif force if necessary.[5]

Soviet infwuence and expansion occurred ewsewhere in Soudwest Asia awso and wed to de Truman Doctrine of de Cowd War. Taking Truman's cue, successive US presidents enwarged and refined deir powicies toward Iran by extending economic and technicaw assistance, strengdening its miwitary potentiaw, estabwishing cwoser cuwturaw ties, and integrating Iran into de regionaw security system encompassing de oder countries of de 'Nordern Tier' of de Middwe East and de Persian Guwf.[5]